Adjustably movable shower head supporting assembly

ABSTRACT

An adjustably movable water conducting assembly for use with a fixed water outlet and a shower head to dispose said head at a desired position. The assembly includes first and second laterally spaced parallel rigid tubes, first and second rotatable water conducting means, and a ball and socket water conducting shower head support. The first rotatable means is connected to said outlet and a first end of said first tube, with said second means being connected to second ends of said first and second tubes, and said ball and socket water conducting shower head support mounted on a second end of said first tube. Said water conducting assembly permits the shower head associated therewith to be adjustably disposed at any desired position within an imaginary circle that has a radius that is the distance between the center of rotation of said first water conducting means and the center of the outlet from said head when said first and second tubes are longitudinally aligned with one another.

United States Patent Meyerhofer et a].

[451 June 13, 1972 [54] ADJUSTABLY MOVABLE SHOWER HEAD SUPPORTING ASSEMBLY [72] Inventors: Leonard G. Meyerhofer, 1567 Stoneman Place, Anaheim, Calif. 92802; Carl E. Meyerhoi'er, 9772 Lullaby Lane, Anaheim, Calif. 92804 [22] Filed: Aug. 6, 1970 [21] App1.No.: 61,652

[52] U.S.Cl ..239/587, 239/281 [51] lnt.Cl ..l ..B05b 15/08 [58] FieldofSearch ..4/145; 239/587, 280, 280.5, 239/281, 282, 229, 267, 269, 279; 248/282, 284

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,011,446 8/1935 Judell ..4/145 2,164,390 7/1939 Dickerson ..248/282 2,776,168 1/1957 Schweda ..4/145X 1,354,838 10/1920 Perkins.... 239/587X 1,693,925 12/1928 Holt ..248/284 2,434,986 1/1948 Bremer ..248/284X Primary Examiner-Lloyd L. King Attorney-William C. Babcock ABSTRACT An adjustably movable water conducting assembly for use with a fixed water outlet and a shower head to dispose said head at a desired position. The assembly includes first and second laterally spaced parallel rigid tubes, first and second rotatable water conducting means, and a ball and socket water conducting shower head support. The first rotatable means is connected to said outlet and a first end of said first tube, with said second means being connected to second ends of said first and second tubes, and said ball and socket water conducting shower head support mounted on a second end of said first tube. Said water conducting assembly permits the shower head associated therewith to be adjustably disposed at any desired position within an imaginary circle that has a radius that is the distance between the center of rotation of said first water conducting means and the center of the outlet from said head when said first and second tubes are longitudinally aligned with one another.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures ADJ USTABLY MOVABLE SHOWER HEAD SUPPORTING ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention An adjustably movable shower head supporting assembly.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the past, numerous adjustable water conducting means have been designed and used to permit limited adjustment of a shower head relative to a tubular water outlet to which it is connected. Such devices are normally disposed at a substantial distance above the floor of a stall shower, and of too great a height to be conveniently used by children, or persons of short stature.

The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the above described operational disadvantages of previously available adjustable shower head supports by providing an assembly in which the shower head may occupy any desired position within the confines of an imaginary circle that extends about the water outlet. This radius may be as large or as small as desired, and is dependent to a major extent on the combined lengths of first and second tubes that form a part of the hereinafter described assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An adjustably movable water conducting pipe assembly for selectively supporting a shower head at a desired position either above or below a water outlet with which it is associated, as well as to either side of said outlet. The movable water conducting assembly includes first and second laterally spaced, parallel, rigid tubes, together with first and second rotatable water conducting means, and a ball and socket water conducting shower head support. The first rotatable water conducting means is connected to the water outlet and a first end of the first tube. The second ends of the first and second tubes are connected to first and second portions of the second rotatable water conducting means, which first and second portions are adjustably rotatable relative to one another. The ball and socket water conducting shower head support is mounted on the first end of the first tube, with the ball having a water passage extending therethrough that is in communication with a tubular member that extends outwardly from said ball. The shower head is mounted on the outer extremity of said tubular member.

The shower head may occupy any desired position within the confines of an imaginary circle that extends about said water outlet, and with the radius of this imaginary circle being the distance between the center line of the water outlet and the center line of the water discharged from the shower head, when the first and second tubes are longitudinally aligned with one another.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the adjustably movable water conducting assembly for holding a shower head in a desired spaced relationship relative to a water outlet with which the assembly is associated;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the water conducting shower head supporting assembly illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is another front elevational view of the movable water conducting shower head supporting assembly, and illustrating in phantom line various positions in which the shower head may be disposed; and

FIG. 4-is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the water conducting assembly taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The adjustably movable water conducting shower head supporting assembly A as may best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 4 includes first and second laterally spaced rigid tubes B and C. The tubes B and C are preferably of substantially the same length. A first water conducting means D is provided as best seen in FIG. 4 that is secured to a water outlet E that occupies a fixed position relative to awall J and has a first end 10 of first tube B secured thereto. Second ends 12 and 14 ofthe first and second tubes B and C are securfid to a second water conducting means F as may be seen in FIG. 4. A second end 16 of second tube C is connected to a water conducting ball and socket assembly G, which assembly includes a ball 18 that has a water passage 20 extending therethrough that is in communication with a tubular member 22. The tubular member 22 on the free end thereof supports the shower head H as shown in FIG. 2.

The first rotatable water conducting means D includes a tubular coupling 24 that has a tapped bore 26 formed therein that engages threads 28 fonned on the outer end of the water outlet E. A counterbore 30 is formed in coupling 24. and at the junction of the bore and counterbore a longitudinally extending spider 32 is formed that has a number of water passages 34 extending therethrough. The counterbore 30 has a cylindrical sealing member 36 situated therein, which sealing member includes a ring-shaped flange 38 that extends over the free end surface 40 of the coupling 24. A bore, 42 extends longitudinally through the resilient sealing member 36 and rotatably engages a tubular stub shaft 44 that extends to the left from a rigid block 46 as shown in FIG. 4. The interior of the stub shaft 44 is in communication with an L-shaped water conducting passage 48 formed in the block 46. A recess 50 is formed in block 46 in which the first'end portion 10 of first tube B is disposed and is held therein by conventional means such as a friction fit, adhesive, threading, welding, brazing or the like. A longitudinal bore'52 in the first tube B is in communication with passage 48.

Spider 32 has a tapped bore 32a located at the center thereof, which engages the left hand threaded end of a bolt 54 that extends longitudinally through the block 46 and the interior of the stub shaft 44. The bolt has a head 56 that bears against a washer 58 as may best be seen in FIG. 4. By tightening the bolt 54, a desired pressure may be exerted on the resilient flange 38 by the block 46 to maintain theblock in rotatable water sealing engagement relative to the coupling 24.

Second water conducting means F as may best be seen in FIG. 4 includes a first block 60 and second block 62. A cylindrical resilient seal 64 is provided that has an outwardly extending ring-shaped flange 66. The seal 64 is mounted on a .tubular shaft 68 that forms a part of the block 62. The seal 64 engages a cavity 70 formed in the first block 60. The firstand second blocks60 and 62 have recesses 60a and 62a formed therein in which the second ends 12 and 14 of first and second tubes B and C are rigidly mounted by friction means or other conventional fastening means.

The bore 52 of first tube B and bore 72 in second tube C are in communication with longitudinally aligned passages 74 and 76 formed in the block 60 and 62 as shown in FIG. 4. A threaded bolt 78 extends longitudinally through a bore 80 formed in first block 60 and engages a tapped recess 82 formed in the second block 62. The bolt 78 includes a head 84 that maintains a resilient washer 86 in pressure contact with an exterior end surface of the first block 60. The bolt 78.holds the firstand second block 60 and 62 in longitudinal alignment as shown in FIG. 4 with the resilient sealing member 64 situated therebetween.

The ball and socket assembly G shown in FIG. 4 includes a fourth block 88 that is mounted on the second end 16 of second tube C, and has a fluid passage 90 therein that is in communication with the passage 20 formed in the ball 18. The ball 18 is pivotally seated against a concave 92 formed in block 88. A resilient ring 94 abuts against the surface 96 of block 88 and the interior surface of the ring 94 being in pressure sealing engagement with the ball 18. An internally threaded rigid, cup-shaped member 98 engages threads 100 formed on the block 88, and serves to maintain the resilient ring 94 in pressure sealing contact with the block and ball 18. The tubular member 22, by threads 22a or other conventional means, supports the shower head H which may be of conven tional design on the outer end thereof. The water outlet E is preferably part of a pipe assembly 104 as shown in FIG. 2 that is concealed within the confines of a wall structure 106. A shoulder 108 formed on the exterior of the coupling 24 serves to maintain a ring-shaped metallic member 110 in contact with one of the wall surfaces 106 of the wall 106 as shown in FIG. 2.

The use and operation of the invention is extremely simple. The tubes B and C may be rotated as may best be seen in FIG. 3 to dispose the shower head H at any desired location within the confines of an imaginary circle 112 as shown in FIG. 3 which circle has a radius that is determined by the distance of the center of the shower head outlet 114 from the center line of the bolt 54, when the first and second tubes B and C are longitudinally aligned relative to one another. From the position of the tubes B and C as illustrated in FIG. 3, it may be seen that the center 114 of the water discharge from the shower head H may be located at any desired position within the confines of the circle. Not only may the shower head be so adjusted, but finer adjustment of the shower head may be secured by pivoting the tubular member 22 and ball 18 relative to the block G. The resilient ring 94 serves not only the purpose of effecting a seal between the block 88 and exterior surface of the ball 18, but due to the frictional force exerted by the ring 94 on the ball, the head H may be held at a desired position relative to the block G.

Although the assembly above described is directed to means for adjustably supporting a shower head and the drawings so illustrate the invention, it will be apparent that the assembly may be used equally to advantage in movably supporting any type of fluid dispenser, such as a paint spray head or the like.

We claim:

1. In combination with a horizontal fluid outlet that occupies a fixed projecting position relative to a vertical wall and a shower head having a discharge outlet, a movable fluid conducting assembly connected to said shower head and fluid outlet to permit said shower head to be adjustably disposed at any desired position within the confines of an imaginary circle of a predetermined desired radius that extends about said fluid outlet and lies in a plane parallel to said wall, said assembly comprising:

a. first and second laterally spaced, parallel rigid tubes, with said second tube at least as long as said first tube;

b. first cylindrical, rotatable fluid conducting means connected to said fluid outlet and to a first end of said first tube to permit a second end of said first tube to be moved in an are about said outlet;

c. second cylindrical fluid conducting means that includes first and second portions that can rotate relative to one another about a horizontal longitudinal axis that extends .therethrough, with said first portion connected to a' second end of said first tube and said second portion to a second end of said second tube, and said first and second tubes normally disposed to said horizontal axis;

d. a ball and socket fluid conducting assembly mounted on a first end of said second tube, said ball having a water conducting passage therein, with the center of said ball at all times lying in said plane and being at a fixed distance from said wall, and said assembly including a rigid tubular member that extends outwardly from said ball and is in communication with said passage, with said tubular member capable of occupying any one of a plurality of angular positions relative to the horizontal; and

e. means for supporting said shower head on the free end of said tubular member, with said radius of said circle being the distance between the center of rotation of said first fluid conducting means and the center of said discharge outlet of said shower head when said first and second tubes are longitudinally aligned.

2. A movable fluid conducting assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said first rotatable fluid conductin means includes f. a tubular coupling connected to said luid outlet, said coupling including a transversely disposed spider within the interior thereof in which a centrally disposed, longitudinal tapped bore is formed;

g. a cylindrical resilient seal situated within the interior of said coupling and outwardly disposed from said spider, said seal including a ring-shaped flange that bears against an outer free end surface of said coupling;

h. a rigid block that has a tubular shaft extending outwardly therefrom that rotatably and sealingly engages the interior surface of said seal, and said block having a fluid conducting passage therein that is in communication with a bore in said block that is longitudinally aligned with said tapped bore;

i. means for connecting a first end of said first tube to said block with the interior of said tube in communication with said passage;

j. a bolt that includes a head and has a threaded shank, said shank extending through said bore for said threaded portion thereof to engage said tapped bore; and

k. a resilient washer engaged by said shank and disposed between said head and an outer end of said block to prevent discharge of fluid through said bore when said bolt is tightened to the extent that said cylindrical resilient seal and flange effect a water tight union between said coupling and block.

3. A movable water conducting assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said second fluid conducting means includes:

f. first and second rotatably engaging portions that have said second ends of said first and second tubes connected thereto, and the interiors of said first and-second tubes in communication with aligned bores in said first and second portions;

g. resilient means disposed between said engaging portions;

and

h. means for removably connecting said first and second portions in rotatable engagement with one another.

4. A movable fluid conducting assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said ball and socket water conducting head support includes:

f. a rigid block connected to a first end of said second tube, said block having a fluid conducting first passage therein that is in communication with a concavity formed in said block, said block having threads on the external surface thereof most adjacent said cavity;

g. a ball rotatably supported in said cavity, said ball having a second fluid conducting passage extending therethrough;

h. a tubular member secured to said ball and in communication with said first passage, sad member supporting said head on the end thereof most remote from said ball; and

i. means for rotatably and sealingly supporting said ball in said concavity. 

1. In combination with a horizontal fluid outlet that occupies a fixed projecting position relative to a vertical wall and a shower head having a discharge outlet, a movable fluid conducting assembly connected to said shower head and fluid outlet to permit said shower head to be adjustably disposed at any desired position within the confines of an imaginary circle of a predetermined desired radius that extends about said fluid outlet and lies in a plane parallel to said wall, said assembly comprising: a. first and second laterally spaced, parallel rigid tubes, with said second tube at least as long as said first tube; b. first cylindrical, rotatable fluid conducting means connected to said fluid outlet and to a first end of said first tube to permit a second end of said first tube to be moved in an arc about said outlet; c. second cylindrical fluid conducting means that includes first and second portions that can rotate relative to one another about a horizontal longitudinal axis that extends therethrough, with said first portion connected to a second end of said first tube and said second portion to a second end of said second tube, and said first and second tubes normally disposed to said horizontal axis; d. a ball and socket fluid conducting assembly mounted on a first end of said second tube, said ball having a water conducting passage therein, with the center of said ball at all times lying in said plane and being at a fixed distance from said wall, and said assembly including a rigid tubular member that extends outwardly from said ball and is in communication with said passage, with said tubular member capable of occupying any one of a plurality of angular positions relative to the horizontal; and e. means for supporting said shower head on the free end of said tubular member, with said radius of said circle being the distance between the center of rotation of said first fluid conducting means and the center of said discharge outlet of said shower head when said first and second tubes are longitudinally aligned.
 2. A movable fluid conducting assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said first rotatable fluid conducting means includes; f. a tubular coupling connected to said fluid outlet, said coupling including a transversely disposed spider within the interior thereof in which a centrally disposed, longitudinal tapped bore is formed; g. a cylindrical resilient seal situated within the interior of said coupling and outwardly disposed from said spider, said seal including a ring-shaped flange that bears against an outer free end surface of said coupling; h. a rigid block that has a tubular shaft extending outwardly therefrom that rotatably and sealingly engages the interior surface of said seal, and said block having a fluid conducting passage therein that is in communication with a bore in said block that is longitudinally aligned with said tapped bore; i. means for connecting a first end of said first tube to said block with the interior of said tube in communication with said passage; j. a bolt that includes a head and has a threaded shank, said shank extending through said bore for said threaded portion thereof to engage said tapped bore; and k. a resilient washer engaged by said shank and disposed between said head and an outer end of said block to prevent discharge of fluid through said bore when said bolt is tightened to the extent that said cylindrical resilient seal and flange effect a water tight union between said coupling and block.
 3. A movable water conducting assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said second fluid conducting means includes: f. first and second rotatably engaging portions that have said second ends of said first and second tubes connected thereto, and the interiors of said first and second tubes in communication with aligned bores in said first and second portions; g. resilient means disposed between said engaging portions; and h. means for removably connecting said first and second portions in rotatable engagement with one another.
 4. A movable fluid conducting assembly as defined in claim 1 in which said ball and socket water conducting head support includes: f. a rigid block connected to a first end of said second tube, said block having a fluid conducting first passage therein that is in communication with a concavity formed in said block, said block havinG threads on the external surface thereof most adjacent said cavity; g. a ball rotatably supported in said cavity, said ball having a second fluid conducting passage extending therethrough; h. a tubular member secured to said ball and in communication with said first passage, sad member supporting said head on the end thereof most remote from said ball; and i. means for rotatably and sealingly supporting said ball in said concavity. 